


An Apology

by foolishguniw



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Nonbinary Naoto, Other, Pre-Relationship, also terrible title sorry about that, i am PREDICTABLE, kind of, mostly just to get ride of some gross stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-07 01:37:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5438681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foolishguniw/pseuds/foolishguniw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The minute Rise has to look up to meet Naoto's eyes, any question she has is replaced with a single new one; Why are they crouching on top of the bathroom stalls?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Desperate Escape

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I know I said I'd get the other prompts done, but y'know. Life. I still I want to post something in the mean time, so here's a fic I wrote a while back to experiment writing from Rise's POV since I write from Naoto's perspective too often. It's also based on the fact that I hate the entire beauty pageant with my heart and soul and want to fix it as much as possible.
> 
> There is a follow-up chapter I wrote too, but I'll post that in like. A week or something. Don't know yet, but what I do know is Naorise is far too easy for me to write.

"Come on, Naoto-kun! How much longer are you gonna take?" Rise knocked the door for what felt like the twentieth time that day. The beauty pageant was starting soon and she needed to check her makeup and hair in the bathroom. Rise doubts Naoto had been doing the same since they weren't the one who saw this as a chance to impress someone. Someone whose name may or may not be "Souji".

"Please understand!" they yell back in a tight tone. "Matters such as these do not come easy to me!"

Rise took a guess at Naoto's issue. "Is it the swimsuit part of the show? It won't be that bad, trust me! It's not like you're gonna be naked or something!"

"Th-that is not helpful in the slightest!" Naoto's voice cracks on the last word, and Rise can almost hear how flustered they are. "It's just...I'm going to be in front of so many people, I...I can't do this..."

"Do you think any of us wanna do this either?" Rise asks impatiently, leaning against the door.

A pause, followed by Naoto practically growling "No, of course not, but...damn that Yosuke-senpai..."

"I know what a pain he can be, but he really is a good guy. Pushing people's buttons is just kind of his way of making friends..." Rise shakes her head since the sentence was of no help to Naoto and certainly not doing Yosuke any favors. "Anyway, you better hurry up before Chie and Yukiko-senpai come and force you out." She decided to give Naoto another two minutes.

While Rise wasn't thrilled to be in the pageant, one side effect of her career was becoming accustomed to letting strangers gawk at her body for entertainment. Perhaps not the best lesson to take from the experience, but it gave her thicker skin at least. So the ordeal wasn't discomforting her to the degree it did her fellow classman.

Naoto may be something of an uptight killjoy, but she does understand why this was particularly unpleasant for them. They were far more sensitive than Rise. After all, it only took bringing up their measurements at the doctor's to freak them out and-

The memory from the other day makes Rise wince and groan "Oh no, not again," putting a palm to her face. Every time she had been alone with her thoughts, it kept worming its way into her head. It wasn't just the regret from violating Naoto's private documents. It was also the way they had looked at her since the incident.

No longer was it the careful, shy glance they would give their other friends. Or even their neutral gaze reserved for acquaintances or strangers. It was close to the look Naoto had while a suspicious outsider to the team. A cold, subtle one that said "I can't trust you". And Rise knew why. So having to force Naoto into a beauty pageant they absolutely did not want any part in was probably not the best way of earning their trust.

Maybe they're just overreacting. "After all, isn't it only fair that we all go through this together?" Rise tried reasoning through her senpai's words. ...Then again, isn't it unfair for Naoto so soon after the trial of facing their Shadow? And after what she did to them? This train of thought was only depressing her, so she puts it to a hold by checking on Naoto once more. "Hey, you finally done yet?"

No answer, so Rise turns and knocks again. "Naoto-kun, did you hear me?" Still nothing. She puts an ear to the door, making out some sort of grunting. "What are you doing...?" she questions uncertainly, and the grunting quiets down. It could only be Naoto, which makes her wonder just what is happening in the room. "...Okay, that's it. I'm coming in." Rise waits another silent moment for them to respond, and turns the knob.

She cracks the door open to give Naoto a chance to make themself decent if needed, then pushes her way inside. Her eyes first go to a blue cap sitting on the ground. A small gasp comes from above, and the minute Rise has to look up to meet Naoto's eyes, any question she has is replaced with a single new one; Why are they crouching on top of the bathroom stalls?

The two stare at one another. Rise was at a complete loss for words. Naoto, frozen and red from panic, was clearly trying to find an excuse for their position.

"Uh...I was...! I-I-I just...!" they stammer directionless. It isn't hard for Rise to put together what they were doing once she sees their hand gripping a ventilation grate.

Rise frowns at the sight. If the mere thought of this pageant was pushing Naoto to attempt an escape, the event itself truly would only add salt to their fresh wounds.

The absurdity of the sight hits her as well though, and Rise can no longer stop herself from cracking up. "Ohh, wow! You're-you're really that desperate to get out of this?" she manages to ask between a laugh.

"N-No!" Naoto lies. "That's not...y-you don't, er..." Their words continue to lead nowhere, like they ultimately know any explanation would be in vain.

Rise composes herself as best she can and glances to a lone tree standing outside the window. "Um, if you ask me...a better escape route might be through the window and down that tree," she offers and grins, still finding Naoto's dramatics hilarious. "Don't you think that would be a little easier than climbing through the ceiling?"

Naoto's blush deepens and they mumble "I...suppose in my distressed state, that more obvious solution...eluded me..." They try tipping the brim of their hat, but only grab the air near their bare head.

Rise giggles one last time at Naoto playing off their mistake. "Do you need some help? Y'know, getting down?"

"No, no, I can manage," they sigh and descend down into the stall with surprising agility. Rise was going to have to ask Naoto just how they did that later.

Knowing she couldn't let them suffer on her watch again, Rise rushes to the window and opens it without a second thought. Naoto can only do a double take at this when they walk out of the stall. "Quick, before the senpai get back," she hastens them.

Naoto stares, taking a breath as if to speak, but keeps silent and makes their way over. They begin their climb out, lowering one of their legs down in search of a branch to use as a foothold. Rise closes the door to make sure no one would catch them in the act. Naoto was still puzzled by the series of events. "Uh, Rise-san...?"

Rise shakes her head. "Hurry and focus on climbing, you don't have much time!"

Their confusion not alleviated, Naoto gives a nod and releases their grip from the ledge, going out of Rise's sight. She hears wood lurching soon after. Then Naoto audibly flailing, and then a snap shortly followed by a hard thump and yelp. Rise jolts and runs to the window, seeing a broken branch now lying in the grass next to Naoto rubbing their head in pain. "Are you okay?" she calls down.

"I'm-I'm fine!" they confirm as they stand to brush themself off. "I misjudged how strong the branch was and it failed to hold my weight, you can probably tell..."

Rise sees a few leaves caught in Naoto's hair from their fall and stifles another fit of laughter. "Oh, hold on a sec!" She pulls back into the bathroom to retrieve their hat. Upon grabbing it, she returns to the window and tosses it right into Naoto's face. "Almost forgot that!"

"Ah, th...thank you!" they call up once their initial bewilderment is replaced with relief. Naoto puts the cap on (the leaves still going unnoticed, much to Rise's continued amusement) and asks "Wait, what are you going to tell the others?"

"I've got you covered, no problem!" she assures them with a chipper grin and an O-K sign.

Naoto replies with their own smile, more timid than Rise's, though nonetheless grateful. This makes her beam even more, but their expression quietly changes. She can't quite place the look...Analytical is one word that comes to mind. This brings Rise back to reality and she yells "What are you standing around for? Get going!"

"R-Right!" Naoto snaps out of their thoughts and sprints off in a random direction.

"Hey, the school gate's _that_ way!" Rise points out.

Naoto spins around, nearly tripping in the process, and runs toward the front of the school. "I knew that!"

"Smooth moves," Rise jokes as she watches Naoto make the rest of their getaway, then leaves to make up a believable lie for their disappearance. Yes, she hopes that this will change their mind about her for the better. But seeing them comfortably return a smile was enough to put Rise at ease for the time.


	2. A Midnight Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I finished editing the next chapter! Like I said, this is just a follow-up to the previous one because why not. I might want to do more follow-ups pertaining to this "plot" eventually, but that probably won't be for a while. Anyway, this chapter is a lot more conversation-centered than action-oriented, but I hope you can all still enjoy it!

The Amagi Inn had gone quiet for the night, at least in the room Rise was sharing with her senpai, Naoto, and Nanako. She lay on her side restless, not ready to sleep and knowing everyone else was exhausted from the eventful day.

Yukiko and Chie had fallen asleep sometime ago, talking with Rise and each other until both were too tired to continue. Rise wants to check if Naoto, in the futon to her right, is awake and willing to do the same with her. But they hadn't said a word to anyone since coming to the inn, outside of saying they wouldn't be joining them in the springs (which turned out to be a wise move). So Rise took this as a sign to not bother them, no matter how much she wanted to.

She is admittedly disappointed Naoto's behavior toward her hadn't changed much. Helping them escape the pageant wasn't enough to earn their trust, apparently. Not even a thank you. Rise sighs at herself and pushes the selfish thought away. It wasn't just about gaining Naoto's forgiveness, was it? She sincerely did want to help them. But doubt lingers. Maybe all she did care about was getting a reward for a good deed. _Can I actually be so shallow?_

Before Rise can berate herself any more, a hand taps at her shoulder. "Rise-san...?" Naoto's voice whispers.

She turns and whispers back louder "Yeah, what's up?"

Naoto blinks. "Were you...already awake?"

"Yeah."

"...Why?"

"I just wasn't asleep yet," Rise replies, mostly honest. "Why are _you_ awake?"

"I...realized I didn't get the chance to properly thank you for earlier," Naoto begins. "But I also want to ask you a question."

A phrase she often heard them say regardless of the situation. But Rise smiles and nods. "All right, go ahead."

"What made you..." They pause. Naoto's attention stays on their sheets for a moment, then locks onto Rise, a strong focus in their eyes. "What I mean is, why did you assist me in the first place? What could you have possibly gained from my escape?"

Rise feels a bit insulted by their suspicious tone. "No offense, but you're kind of making it sound like I'm a criminal, and you're interrogating me on what my motive is."

Naoto's eyes go from dead-serious to darting away in embarrassment. "Oh, I- um, my apologies, I did not intend that..." They sound well aware that they don't have the fine points of informal conversation down.

"Always in detective mode, huh?" Rise laughs to relax the mood. "Like I said though, none of us wanted to be in that thing. Personally, the swimsuit part didn't bother me much, and the senpai were just annoyed, but for you..." She recalls Naoto's reaction to anything regarding their body, and chooses her words carefully. "It was gonna be a lot worse, wasn't it? Like...something you couldn't live down."

"That was a correct assumption..." Naoto gives her an inquisitive glance. "How could you tell?"

"Well...catching you trying to escape through the ceiling might have been my first clue."

"Right..."

"And you just went through a hard time with your Shadow...really, there isn't anything I wanted out of you leaving." Rise hopes this would comfort Naoto, as well as validate her own feelings. Her worried thoughts about being selfish flare, but she continues in spite of them. "I just wanted to help you 'cause you're my friend."

Naoto draws back at the last word and goes pink, noticeable even in the dark. "Is that so...?"

"Of course!" Rise answers enthusiastically. "I know you still gotta get used to everyone, but we're not just an investigation team. We're your friends, all of us. And friends should look out for each other, especially when they're in the same year, right?"

The concept of friendship so unconditional was alien to Naoto. But they seem receptive when the corners of their mouth twitch upward. They believed Rise's words, which in turn helped her believe in them.

But if she was going to believe in those feelings, Rise no longer wanted to hide the entire truth. "There...actually is a different reason I helped you."

"Oh?" Naoto tilts their head in interest.

Rise bites her lip, afraid this would cause their faint smile to disappear, and forces the question out. "You remember what happened during our checkup?"

Exactly as she feared, Naoto's face falls and their body tenses right at the mention of the event. "...I honestly wish I didn't," they murmur through clenched teeth.

"I'm...really, really sorry about that," Rise tries apologizing at last.

Naoto turns away from her to face the ceiling. "It's...fine."

Rise's stomach sinks. "Don't lie to me, I know it isn't...it isn't even close to fine. It..." Her voice hitches, and a lump forms in her throat. _Don't cry. You're not the one here who deserves to cry._ To evade any tears, Rise lets everything spill out all at once. "I was being nosy, I made you feel terrible, and I just. Didn't think it would bother you so much, but that's no excuse. It was a rotten thing to do, and I wanted to make it up to you, but I would have helped you out today even if I hadn't pulled such a boneheaded move, because none of us even deserved to go through that awful thing in the first place, but especially not you because you have a hard time with that kind of stuff, but...yeah."

Rise takes a few seconds to catch her breath, and sees that Naoto is now staring at her, bewildered and speechless. "The bottom line is; I shouldn't have gone through your private stuff. I'm still super sorry for everything, and I totally get it if you wanna stay mad at me..." she finishes.

Naoto keeps their gaze on Rise, expression becoming unreadable. Almost as if they were trying to process everything they had been told in the last thirty seconds. Rise prepares for whatever their response may be. After taking a deep breath themself, Naoto's face softens significantly. "I...I personally believe you did more than enough to make up for it by saving me a world of anguish today. Thank you for that. And your apology is accepted," they speak with surprising warmth, along with a smile bigger than the one they gave her during the escape. Bigger than any of the smiles they've given before, in fact. It was kind of nice to see it compared to Naoto's usual controlled demeanor.

The thought inexplicably causes heat to invade Rise's cheeks and she gives herself a mental slap to the face. Why was she feeling embarrassed? Whatever the reason, she decides to return the favor. "I'm glad, but y'know, I've gotta say," she starts with a practiced and charming smile of her own. "I probably wouldn't have won the pageant if you did stay and showed off that look."

"Wha...d...d-don't be ridiculous!" A startled blush goes across Naoto almost instantly and they break eye contact with Rise. Just as planned. "You show off the most confidence out of anyone, it's-it's only natural for you to have won," they fumble for a solid ten seconds and clear their throat nervously.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, you've got a lot of admirers! All those girls were pretty disappointed when you didn't show up."

"They're...misled..." Once Naoto could construct a complete sentence again, they ask "I-I am curious, how were you able to face being signed into that pageant with such ease? And without your consent no less?"

Rise shrugs. "You get used to that sorta stuff when you're an idol. You don't get to make decisions of your own that often."

"Hmm. In that case, it sounds like a difficult job."

"Oh, you have no idea!" Rise's voice is just above a whisper now. "Everyone thinks it's some easy, glamorous breeze, but there's so much work and recording and marketing and a hundred other things you have to worry about! And to top it all off, you're always being judged and treated more like a toy instead of a living, breathing person."

Naoto gives a few intrigued nods. "I've heard the industry can be very...intense. And I understand that to an extent. I do have my own fame to deal with, though it's much less severe and incomparable to the national fame of an idol like yourself."

"Well, it doesn't sound like being a detective is a walk in the park either." Rise could tell through Naoto's descriptions of the prejudices they experienced in their career. She then remembers she isn't the only one with some explaining to do. "But anyway, since you got to ask me some questions, now you have to answer mine!" she demands.

"Huh? A-All right?" Naoto accepts apprehensively.

Rise gives them an intense, prolonged stare for dramatic effect. "How are you so good at climbing? Not just anyone can climb up and down a bathroom stall like you did! I never would have expected that from you of all people!"

Naoto goes from cautious to mildly offended. "And just what are you implying with that? Did you never climb trees as a child?"

"Not really? I was kind of a scaredy-cat when I was little."

"Well, I would never have anticipated that from _you_ , Rise-san," they counter.

Rise gives Naoto a playful shove, opting out of acknowledging their point. "Oh, shut up! Climbing trees doesn't sound like the cool, mysterious Detective Prince I know! I bet nowadays you'd be all..." She tips an invisible hat in imitation of them, and exaggerates a deep, humorless voice. "'Tree-climbing? What a foolish activity for children. I have more important things to do. Like solving crimes and drinking black coffee, even though I hate it.'"

Thankfully her teasing only makes Naoto snort and roll their eyes in amusement. "Incredible. You have each of my mannerisms down perfectly," they praise, sarcasm obvious with a hint of genuine annoyance. Naoto then wrinkles their brow. "Hold on...what makes you think I hate black coffee?"

"You always make this face after you drink it." Rise scowls in an attempt to mimic Naoto's dead-eyed glare.

"Do I...actually look like that?" they ask in sincere shock.

"You aren't as subtle as you think you are, Naoto-kun."

An actual scowl emerges at that statement. "...Black coffee is, quite frankly, disgusting," Naoto admits somewhat childishly.

"Yeah, it's the worst," Rise giggles. It was odd to see Naoto with their guard so lowered, but she was enjoying every second of it.

They hum in agreement, and a shy but amiable smile returns. "Though as 'accurate' as your parody was, you were wrong on one account; I don't find tree-climbing to be a foolish activity at all. Not even today."

Rise raises an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you-" Both her brows fly up when she realizes what Naoto meant. Their face mirrors hers as soon as they do too. "Do..." Rise bites her cheeks. "Do you mean... _you still climb-_ "

" _GOOD NIGHT!_ " they swiftly cut her off and turn over and away in their sheets.

With Naoto facing away from her, Rise is free to let a delighted grin spread across her face, and she shakes with suppressed laughter. "I guess that answers that question." Even as the the room went quiet, the idea of Naoto climbing up trees with the agility of a monkey was far too entertaining for her to ignore.

"...Rise-san," Naoto breaks the silence with a half-whisper, their back still to Rise. "Don't tell the others. Please."

"...Yeah, you got it." She wasn't planning on telling anyone in the first place. Why would she after everything that happened between them?

"And please don't inform them of anything else I may have said either. I'm...not quite ready to let them know those aspects of myself," Naoto implores.

The concern in their voice reminds Rise the two of them had rather similar lives for most of middle school. Being bullied and alone, feeling like they could never fit in. She understood what Naoto feared all too well. Rise also couldn't help but be flattered that they trusted her enough to keep a secret. "Don't worry, it'll all stay between us," she promises.

"...Thank you." Rise catches a glimpse of a smile when Naoto tilts their head toward her one last, brief time. "Um...good night, Rise-chan."

"'Night!" Rise lies on her back and closes her eyes, no longer restless and finally satisfied. Not only was she able to make amends with Naoto, but now they could have a casual conversation together! Well...to an extent. And who else on the team could say the same?

When morning came, Rise couldn't recall if Naoto had referred to her as "Rise-chan" for the first time that night, or if she had only misheard them while drifting off to sleep.


End file.
